


Run Along that Forest Trail

by peaceandtranquility



Category: Frozen (Disney Movies)
Genre: A LOT of Angst, Child Abandonment, Elsa Has Ice Powers (Disney), Gen, King is an awful dad to Elsa, Modern Era
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-14
Updated: 2020-01-19
Packaged: 2021-02-27 05:20:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 9,954
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22251742
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/peaceandtranquility/pseuds/peaceandtranquility
Summary: Princess Anna of Arendelle has ascended the throne after losing her parents to a crash. Her first duty as Queen? Finding the older sister she didn't even know she had and bringing her back to Arendelle. But what if Elsa doesn't want to leave the Enchanted Forest?
Relationships: Anna & Elsa (Disney)
Comments: 9
Kudos: 50





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first fanfiction on this website. I just had the idea of a what if situation where Elsa was separated from Anna before Anna was even born and it spiraled into this. Please, enjoy.

At the age of eighteen, Princess Anna ascended the throne. Well, she was technically not _Queen_ yet, since she had to wait another three years for that formal title, but that hadn’t stopped the castle staff or the people of Arendelle from addressing her as “your Majesty”. Her parents never returned from their trip, leaving their only daughter to inherit responsibility that she felt she wasn’t ready for. Luckily, her role as ruler was just a formality. In the modern era, the small Kingdom of Arendelle depended mainly on its tourism, a thing they mainly achieved by having the citizens, royal family included, behave as if it were still the 1800’s. Every citizen, especially those living in the immediate area around the castle, played their roles of quaint townsfolk. They chatted with tourists, selling handmade charms and trinkets, and guided them to the next tourist spot. Even the Northuldra were in on the tourism business, taking tourists on trips through the outermost regions of the Enchanted Forest. Or at least, they used to. Anna did not know the exact details since it had taken place before her birth, but, one day, the Enchanted Forest had simply…shut everyone out. No one could pass through the fog that had settled on the Forest, and the fog had never lifted in the nearly two decades since. It was strange, to be sure, but the Northuldra had simply settled on taking tourists on trips up the North Mountain instead. Anna wasn’t sure if she believed them when they said the Forest would reopen itself in due time.

Anna had also played her part, when her parents were still alive, by occasionally skipping into town in formal dress to meet with these tourists. Her role was to give any who encountered her a special set of tasks that, if completed, would earn them a reward. Usually, those rewards were an extra day’s stay at the hotel or a complimentary meal from one of the restaurants in town. Of course, now that she was technically in command of the entire kingdom, her excursions would be more infrequent. She supposed she would have to prepare even more extravagant rewards for the few that succeeded at completing her demands, though that could wait for later. She had more pressing matters at the moment, matters that somehow directly related to her parents, the Forest, and why it had closed itself, though she wasn’t sure which one took priority.

“Are you sure about this?” Anna asked. She looked from the diary sitting open on her desk to the report she had just been handed, then to the man who had given her the report in the first place.

“Yes, your Majesty.”

Anna laughed dryly. “If this is all true, I will not be ‘your Majesty’ for long. How long have you known this, Kai? And why bring it up to me now?” If it had been any other day, she would not have addressed Kai so rudely. After all, he was the closest thing she had to an uncle, even if he was technically her servant.

“I was sworn to secrecy by your father around twenty years ago.” Kai answered her question simply, a twinge of remorse showing on his expression as he continued. “I am telling you because I believed you deserved to know the truth, and your father is no longer here to judge.”

“Well. Thank you, then. For telling me.” Anna sighed. Day one of being on the throne and she was already developing a headache. “Please, leave me. I wish to think on this alone.”

“Of course. I will excuse myself, your Majesty.”

Anna felt as if her lungs didn’t start working again until she’d heard the study door shut. She sank into the chair – her father’s chair – and glanced at the report Kai had given her. She had yet to read it, since she’d immediately asked him to tell her directly. Which he did, but she needed to read his report, as if reading the information on paper would help it make more sense.

_The following details the events that took place March 23 rd, 2001:_

Anna noted the date Kai had written down as being around three months before her own birth date. She briefly wondered how he even remembered the details down to the exact date, but she supposed the event was too big to be forgotten. Lucky for her then. She continued reading, quickly realizing that it was more of a journal entry than a formal report. She did know what a report looked like, after all.

_The weather forecasts promised the day to be a beautiful one. His Majesty, King Agnarr, requested my accompaniment on his journey to the Enchanted Forest. I was pleased to be selected, and was even more so when I learned that her Royal Highness would be traveling with us. Unfortunately, her Majesty was unable to make the journey –_

Anna skipped a few lines, wanting to get to the information that mattered.

_We have arrived at the Enchanted Forest and were welcomed by the Northuldra and their tourist guests. King Agnarr gave his usual greeting, and Princess Elsa joined her father, albeit shyly. The king then asked me to watch over his vehicle while he and Princess Elsa enjoyed some father-daughter time exploring the forest. I agreed and bid him and her Highness safety in their endeavors. Princess Elsa waved at me as the king carried her into the woods._

Everything Anna was reading matched up to what Kai had told her just a few minutes ago. “Princess Elsa. Elsa.” She really didn’t want to read the next part.

_Half an hour passed, and the Northuldra had left on the road back to Arendelle with their tourists. I was alone next to the car when I heard the most horrifying screams coming from the woods. They pierced through my very heart and I started for the trees, only to be met by King Agnarr as he stumbled from them._

_“Kidnappers!” He shouted at me. “I only put Elsa down for a minute to take pictures for Iduna.”_

_He seemed incredibly distraught but he led me back the way he came, back to where he and Princess Elsa had been before she’d been taken. There were no signs of anyone there. I searched hard for any tracks, anything at all that could point me in the direction of the kidnappers, but there were none. None at all._

_It was with a heavy heart that we returned to Arendelle. The Queen’s sobs could be heard throughout the entire castle, and the King implored that the Northuldra break their normal routine and search deeper into the Enchanted Forest. However, it seems that the Forest has closed itself off. No one is able to go in, and, I fear, no one will ever come out._

The report ended there, leaving Anna no more relaxed than she had been earlier. Some detail in the written report was new, but she couldn’t have expected Kai to remember everything he wrote down nearly twenty years ago. Still, it was troubling.

_“As much as I hate to tarnish his Majesty’s honor, I do not believe Princess Elsa was lost to kidnappers.”_

The implications were clear. Kai did not believe Elsa had been kidnapped all those years ago. But that would mean that her father willingly abandoned her _sister_ to the forest. She needed more answers, and sought them in her mother’s diary. She’d found the page discussing Elsa’s birth when Kai originally brought her older sister’s existence to light. Now, Anna flipped forward through time, looking for the date that matched the one on Kai’s report. There it was!

_March 23 rd, 2001_

_It cannot be true. It cannot. Agnarr tries to comfort me but I cannot be consoled. Not tonight. Somewhere, my daughter is among strangers. I can only pray for her swift return. If only I could get out there myself and search. Elsa. My sweet, sweet Elsa. We will find you._

It was short, at least compared to the other entries in her mother’s diary. Anna flipped a few more pages, just skimming through as her mind processed what action she should take next.

_The Enchanted Forest is closed. Is there no hope of finding my daughter? No, I must believe. She will be found._

Anna continued to flip through the pages. The next time she saw Elsa’s name was the last time, a few days after Anna’s birth.

_Agnarr wants me to keep Elsa a secret from Anna. He worries that if Anna knew about her older sister, Anna might be tempted to search for her. I told him that Anna wouldn’t even understand what happened until a few years had passed, but he insists. He promises me that, even though he will have Elsa declared legally dead, he will continue searching for Elsa, even if she is no longer in the Enchanted Forest where she was stolen from us. I will think upon this and give him my answer in the morning._

Her mother had definitely agreed to her father’s wishes. Anna never knew about Elsa, would have never known if Kai had not brought it to her attention. She did not believe her sister was dead. She did not even believe she had ever been kidnapped. But that would mean her father had abandoned Elsa in those woods. She needed to know the truth, but with her father gone, there was only one other person in the entire world who could tell her. She needed to find Elsa.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Anna gets herself a ride to the Enchanted Forest.

Anna was up early the next morning, gathering everything she believed she would need for a trip to the Enchanted Forest. Worried staff tried to stop her, or at least, offer to accompany her, but she waved them off. Some people needed to stay behind to ensure that the kingdom continued to run smoothly in her absence. And to keep the tourists from finding out that the literal heir to the throne left on a journey to find someone she wasn’t even sure was still there. (She didn’t dare entertain the thought that Elsa was _dead_.)

Wait, she probably needed someone to take her there. She was originally against taking anyone with her, but she’d never been to the Enchanted Forest (because it was closed before her birth and who wanted to go somewhere just to see a bunch of fog?). She still decided against taking any castle staff. Most of them would be heartbroken to learn the truth, and she needed Kai to remain since he seemed like the best fit to run the kingdom in her place. She set off into castle town, hoping to find someone who could drive her there without asking her too many questions about why she wanted to go in the first place.

“So. You’re saying you want _me_ to take _you_ to the Enchanted Forest.” The young man repeated. “That’s it? Not even a ‘hi’ or ‘hello’ or ‘my name is whatever’?”

Anna rolled her eyes. “Hi. My name is Anna. Now will you take me to the Enchanted Forest or not?”

“That’s better. Hi, I’m Kristoff.” Anna rolled her eyes again as Kristoff continued speaking. “I dunno. It’s pretty far and there’s not much to look at up there. Plus, wouldn’t asking the Northuldra to take you there be better?”

“You’ll get a reward for taking me there.” Anna said. She had several things lined up for giving out anyway. It wouldn’t hurt to give one of them to this guy, even if he was being rather aggravating at the moment.

“Yeah, I’m familiar with how business works.” The blonde said, crossing his arms. “I still don’t understand why you asked me of all people to drive you. There are plenty of Northuldra.”

“Because you looked like you could use the money? Look, I don’t have time to argue semantics with you. Will you take me or not?”

“…fine. But I get to choose my reward.”

“Sure, whatever.” They shook hands, cementing the deal. “Meet me in front of the castle in ten minutes. I need to grab a few things.”

“Why the castle?” Kristoff asked, bemused.

“’Cuz that’s where I _live_?” Anna laughed at his shocked expression. “Did you grow up under a rock or something?”

“Or something.” Kristoff muttered. “I’ll meet you there, your Majesty.” He added a bow before turning and getting into his car.

Anna had trouble deciding if he was being serious or just mocking her but he had already driven off. Grumbling, she hurried back to the castle to grab her things.

Kristoff was waiting in the car when she finally emerged from the castle, five minutes later than she intended.

“Geez, how much stuff are you bringing on that trip of yours?” Kristoff complained as he got out of the driver’s seat to help her pack it into the trunk.

“Not much. Just a change of clothes, a tent, some food, a sleeping bag, and whoa, is that your dog?!” Anna gasped. “He’s adorable!”

“He is a vicious guard dog. Show her, Sven.” Kristoff ordered, still moving things around so that everything Anna wanted to bring would fit. He vowed to clean his car out a little for the next time he was asked to take people on an impromptu trip.

“No, he’s a lovebug. Aren’t you, Sven?” Anna cooed. She rubbed the dog behind his ears and was rewarded with a lick. “A little slobbery though.”

Kristoff forced the car trunk shut and made his way back to the driver’s seat. “Alright. I hope your Majesty will settle for sitting in the backseat.”

“Seeing as Sven has already claimed the passenger seat, I suppose I have little choice.” Anna pulled the door open and slid in. “And you can just call me Anna. No one’s going to hear you.”

“So.” Kristoff started, about an hour into the drive. “Are you going to tell me why you want to get to the Enchanted Forest?”

“Sorry, secret.” Anna responded, not even bothering to look up from her phone. She trusted Kristoff could get them to the forest, but it never hurt to have the map open. They were making good progress though, and would be at the forest in another hour or so.

“Hey, I’m just trying to make conversation here.” Kristoff said, casting a pointed look at Anna through the rearview mirror. “Most people don’t go to the Enchanted Forest anymore because there isn’t anything to look at.”

“Sounds like you know a lot about the Enchanted Forest.” Anna muttered. “Hey, wait. Tell me more about the Enchanted Forest.”

“What?”

“You wanted conversation. I’m giving you conversation. Tell me about the Forest.” Anna said, trying to look as regal as possible.

“Uh, it’s enchanted and it’s a forest.” Kristoff said. “The entire thing is covered in fog; it’s not like I know that much about it either, okay?!”

Anna scowled at him and turned her attention back to her phone. She checked the map again, then stared out of the window, watching the scenery pass her by.

“Oh. There is this rumor.” Kristoff said.

“Cool. Tell me.” Anna said, though she didn’t take her attention away from the window. Autumn was a rather pretty season, with all the leaves on the trees changing colors.

“Ever since the Enchanted Forest closed, the Northuldra and some others, me included, have visited the forest every once in a while to see if the fog lifted up. It never did, but sometimes, you can hear faint singing or laughter from the forest. They say it’s the spirits, and I believe them. I heard it once. Faint singing.” He shuddered visibly. “It’s why I don’t particularly like the forest. It’s…unnatural.”

“That’s probably why it’s called the ‘Enchanted Forest’.” Anna said, making air quotes around the forest’s name. Kristoff scoffed at her but she had become preoccupied with the new knowledge she’d gained. Faint singing, faint laughter. It could very well be the wind, but it could also be a person, alive in the forest. Anna checked her phone for the third time, groaned, and settled for playing with Sven for the rest of the ride.

“Well, here we are. Enchanted Forest.”

Anna got out of the car, staring wide-eyed at the forest. The fog was so thick she couldn’t see anything through it, and it reached so high that she couldn’t see the tops of the trees. It definitely didn’t look natural, with the way that it was shifting even though there was no wind blowing. She walked up to the edge of the fog, ignoring Kristoff’s complaints, and stretched out her hand to touch it. An unknown force pushed back against her, causing her to stumble back a few steps. To her left, leaves swirled up from the ground.

“Okay, that’s not normal.” Kristoff had joined her, Sven sniffing the ground at his feet.

“Yeah, that’s not.” Anna headed towards the wind, which seemed content to just lift fallen leaves into the air. “Hello.” She said, become acutely aware that she was talking to _wind_ of all things, and that Kristoff was probably most definitely judging her from behind. “Are you a spirit? My name is Anna. I’m looking for my sister.”

The wind blew the leaves a little more before rising up and rushing past her head. Anna turned to follow it, which wasn’t hard since the wind had continued to carry a few leaves. “Please! I just want to find her! Her name is Elsa!”

Maybe that was the wrong thing to say. The wind stopped abruptly, dropping the leaves. It was eerily silent.

“Anna, maybe we should go.” Kristoff said. Sven seemed to echo the sentiment, hiding behind Kristoff’s legs with his tail tucked.

“I can’t! Not when I’m this close!” Anna glanced around, looking for any trace of the wind spirit. “Oh.”

She ran as the tornado touched down. Howling winds made it impossible for her to hear what Kristoff was shouting, though she could see his mouth moving in the moments before she was inevitably sucked into the wind storm. She would have screamed for Kristoff to help had he not been sucked up seconds later. She closed her eyes, bracing for her impending death at the hands of a magic tornado. But seconds passed and nothing happened, save the branches that were being thrown at her body by the tornado. She opened her eyes, finding that while she was being thrown about by the wind, it wasn’t doing that much actual damage. She decided another attempt at talking was in order. “I’m not here to hurt Elsa! I just want to find her and talk to her!” She could barely hear herself over the din of the tornado but she desperately hoped the wind spirit was listening. “I promise I won’t hurt her!”

It felt like an eternity before the wind decided to let them go. The wind swirled around her again, a gentle breeze, before rushing into the fog, creating a small opening. Anna immediately headed towards it, only to be pulled to a stop by Kristoff. “What?!”

“Uh, your stuff? I’m not sitting around here for however long it takes for you to find your sister.” Kristoff said. Anna glared at him; how did he know she was looking for her sister? Then again, she had just been openly talking about it to the wind, so she supposed he overheard.

Anna glanced back at the fog. The opening was shrinking. “I don’t have time to grab it. Just watch it for me until I get back!” She pulled herself from Kristoff’s grasp and dove into the fog, hearing his spluttering fade behind her as she pressed onward. She marched through the fog, certain that at some point, the fog would end. Or maybe it wouldn’t, and she’d have to search for her sister in the fog. She did not like the sound of that, though she was up to the task if it ended up that way.

She passed through the inner boundary of the fog with a subtle popping sound. Anna turned around, finding that the fog had closed in behind her. She supposed Kristoff would not be following her and hoped that he was going to stay. If not, she would be in for a long wait after she finished her business in the forest. Anna turned back to the forest, marveling in its beauty. The wind spirit was waiting for her, evident by the leaves swirling a few feet in front of her. “Please take me to Elsa.”

Following the wind spirit proved to be harder than Anna originally thought. There were leaves falling everywhere and the wind spirit moved those too when it passed through the area. Anna tried to keep up but kept getting distracted by the different colored leaves falling around her. It was strange, yet rather nice, to know that there were still areas of the world without signs of human influence. Sure, there had been some litter at the inner edge of the fog, which Anna had to remember to pick up when she was leaving, but the forest at large remained mostly untouched.

The wind blew at her face, bringing her mind away from reflective thoughts. She was about to ask what the wind wanted when she heard the laughter. It sounded…familiar, even though she knew she’d never heard it before. How could she? Elsa was gone before she’d even been born. Anna stepped forward, not caring that she was making a large amount of noise. “Elsa!” She called, confidently, as if she had been calling that name all her life.

The young woman whipped around from where she had been standing at the edge of a small stream. Anna had never been faced with such immediate anger and stopped dead in her tracks.

“Who are you?!”


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Anna talks to Elsa.

Anna blinked, confidence fading fast as the young woman, probably her sister, stared at her with hostility in her eyes. The fireball on the woman’s shoulder wasn’t helping Anna’s confidence, nor was the horse-like water thing, or the giant stone beings. Anna gulped, momentarily losing her voice.

“I said. Who are you?” The young woman repeated.

“I-I’m Anna.” Her voice came out in a squeak. “O-Of Arendelle.”

“No one can enter the forest, Anna of Arendelle.” The blonde said. “How did you get in?”

Anna tried to take a step closer to the blonde, only to be forced back by an ice wall that – wait, did _Elsa_ just make an ice wall?!

“Not a step closer. Answer me.”

“The wind let me in.” Anna said, eyeing the ice wall with some level of interest. And fear, since the top of it was spiked in her direction. “I’m looking for my sister, Elsa.”

“You’re looking…for me?” Elsa said, slowly, the hostility in her eyes changing to an unsure curiosity. Hesitantly, Anna moved around the ice wall, relieved that no further ice walls appeared. “I…I have a sister?”

“Yes.” Anna said, giving her sister an encouraging smile. “I came to bring you back to Arendelle.”

Maybe that was the wrong thing to say, since Anna soon found herself pinned to a tree by another wall of ice. The hostility had returned in full force. “I will not go back to Arendelle. Not after – “

“Okay, maybe you don’t have to go back to Arendelle!” Anna shouted. She’d hold her hands out in a surrender position but she literally couldn’t move any other part of her body. “Can I just talk to you? Please?”

Elsa turned away from her, seeming to converse with the weird horse-water-thing. Anna considered her options, which were rather limited seeing as she was frozen in place, and ultimately decided to just stay silent and observe her sister. Elsa looked remarkably healthy for someone who had been living in the woods for the last eighteen years. Anna wondered where Elsa had gotten her clothes from since she couldn’t go outside of the woods. Did she make them? If so, they were remarkably well made. Anna’s thoughts were heading down a rather strange tangent, but there wasn’t much she could do except wait for Elsa to come to a conclusion.

The blonde finally turned back to Anna and removed the ice wall with a wave of her hand. “Okay, talk. I’ll listen.”

“Oh, okay.” Where should she begin? With how Elsa ended up in the forest in the first place? That probably wasn’t a good idea, seeing how aggressively Elsa reacted earlier. No, probably better to start out with something safer. “Um. I’ll just talk about myself then.”

Elsa nodded, waiting for her to continue.

“I’m Anna, but I guess I already told you that.” Anna wondered what else she could talk about. Why was it that her rambling mouth wasn’t working now of all times?! “I really like Joan of Arc. She’s my hero, I guess. I talked to her painting a lot when I got bored and couldn’t go outside.”

“You talked…to a painting?” Elsa asked, amused.

“Yeah. I still do.” Anna rubbed the back of her head sheepishly. “I mean, sometimes it feels like she just gets me, you know? Wait, no, that doesn’t make sense. Sorry. Um, what else…Oh! One time I rode my bicycle inside when I wasn’t supposed to – “

“Sorry,” Elsa said, interrupting, “what is a bicycle?”

“Oh, it’s a, um…how do I describe it? It has two wheels, and you move it by pedaling but you have to be able to balance on it since it only has two wheels and it took me months to learn how to balance without falling off.” Anna cut herself off before rambling more since Elsa was looking increasingly confused the more she went on. “You know what? I’ll just draw it for you. My art skills aren’t that good though, so don’t judge.” She searched around for an appropriately sized branch and used it to scrawl a vaguely-bicycle-shaped drawing in the dirt.

“Oh. I remember that.” Elsa remarked quietly. “I had one before…never mind. Continue, please.”

Anna didn’t really want to, since it seemed like Elsa had been on the verge of talking about her past but she didn’t want to pressure her sister. She decided to play dumb. “Continue what? Oh, right! The bicycle thing! So, I was riding it around inside the halls but then I had the greatest idea ever, like, what if I ride it down the stairs? And so, I did but I just fell and the bicycle fell and I got hurt but I tried to hide it but eventually everyone found out and I got scolded. And grounded.” Anna laughed at the memory. Elsa offered her a faint smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “What else did I do?” Anna wondered aloud, trying to find another memory that Elsa could potentially find amusing.

“Oh yeah. So, there was this one time that I was forbidden from going outside because I was grounded. Completely unrelated to the bicycle incident, by the way. But I was not supposed to go outside and I didn’t want to talk to Joan and I was so bored so guess what I did? Come on. Guess!”

“Um…read a book?” Elsa suggested, looking a little uncomfortable at being put on the spot.

“No, though that would probably have been more interesting than what I actually did. I went to the kitchen and counted things. Did you know we have eight _thousand_ salad plates? Just the salad plates, eight thousand of them. What do we even need that many for?” Anna felt quite proud of herself for the giggle she’d managed to get out of her sister. But the happiness was short-lived, as Elsa became quiet, thinking.

“Anna. Did…did mother…” Elsa started to say, hesitantly. Anna waited. If there was anything she had learned in the last few exchanges, it was that she couldn’t rush her sister. “Did mother ever…did she miss me?”

“She did.” Anna said. She knew as much based on the diary entries she’d read the previous day. “She never stopped looking for you.”

“Mother…” Wait, was Elsa crying? A quiet sob broke the silence as tears rolled down the blonde’s cheeks.

Anna struggled with herself for a bit. She wanted to hug Elsa so badly, but she also didn’t want to betray what little trust she had managed to establish by pushing her sister’s boundaries. She compromised and moved a little closer but not too close. “Elsa.” There was nothing else she could say.

“Father said…”

Anna waited, sensing that Elsa was on the verge of talking.

“He said…no one would come looking. For me.” Elsa’s sobs had grown louder. The horse-water-thing nudged her with its nose and nickered. Elsa reached up and stroked it, calming slightly as she did. “No one would miss me.”

“He was wrong.” Anna said forcefully, surprising Elsa and herself with the amount of disgust she was starting to feel. “Mother missed you. Father made her never talk about you to me, but I can see now that all the times she looked at me sadly, she was thinking about you. And I came here to find you. I don’t care what Father said. You are my sister. I will always come for you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Added new tags. I'll add more tags as the story continues.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Anna hugs Elsa and then learns how fast Elsa can run away. (And Kristoff talks to Sven.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I made a mistake in the summary for the previous chapter. Kristoff talks to Sven this chapter, not the last.  
> Please enjoy. :)

Anna wondered if now would be a good time for a hug. She took a tentative step closer to Elsa, keeping an eye on her sister’s body language. And on the fireball sitting on Elsa’s shoulder. And on the water-horse-thing that was still staring at her. There were too many things to keep an eye on. Anna took another step, made sure nothing was going to attack her with magical powers, then took another. She could almost touch her sister now. The fireball wasn’t helping. She had already gotten this close. Might as well take it all the way. She crossed the last bit of distance separating her from Elsa and hugged her sister for the first time ever. “I’m sorry I didn’t come sooner.” She said. Anna shut her eyes, fully prepared to take whatever magical retaliation she probably deserved for invading her sister’s personal space. None came. Instead, she felt her sister’s arms moving, lifting up to return the hug. Hugging Elsa was different from hugging other people. Sure, it was fall, but Elsa felt cold, which Anna supposed was a side effect of having cool ice powers. Pun not intended.

“It’s not your fault.” Elsa whispered. “You didn’t know. Father didn’t let you know.”

They held each other for a little longer. Elsa was the first to pull away, and Anna reluctantly let her sister go. Personally, Anna wouldn’t have minded if the hug had lasted longer. Another question was bugging her though, the question that had been bugging her since they’d first started talking. “Elsa, if…if you don’t mind – and you don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to! I understand if this is something that you don’t want to talk about and you can keep it a secret but I just want you to know that if you ever want to talk about it that I’m willing to listen and,”

“What is it?” Elsa asked, amusement evident in her tone even though her tears had not fully stopped.

Anna mentally smacked herself and her rambling mouth. “What happened that day? The day that…” She trailed off, not wanting to finish the sentence aloud. _The day father abandoned you._

Elsa did not immediately throw up a defensive wall (in the most literal sense) so Anna internally celebrated the minor victory in earning just a bit of Elsa’s trust. However, the blonde looked away, bringing her hands up to her chest in a nervous manner. Anna took her sister’s hands in her own. They were colder than before. “You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to.” She repeated.

Elsa pulled her hands out of Anna’s grasp and took a few steps back. “I’m sorry, Anna.”

“Hey, it’s okay. I told you that I’ll just listen when you want me to. No big deal.” Anna said, trying to close their distance again. But Elsa just moved away again, staying away. “Elsa?”

“You should go home, Anna.” And Elsa was retreating further. “Go home.” The fireball jumped off of Elsa’s shoulder then, flames disappearing when it landed on the ground and scampered off.

“It’s your home too, Elsa!” Anna said, moving quickly to follow her sister. The water-horse-thing just watched her pass without doing anything. She glanced at it and it bowed its head to her before vanishing into the stream. Almost as if it were giving her permission. To do what, Anna wasn’t sure. More importantly, Elsa was running away!

“The forest is my home!” Elsa shouted back. Ice formed along the ground, marking Elsa’s path through the trees.

Anna shrieked in surprise as walls sprouted from Elsa’s icy path. She couldn’t stop herself before she ran into the closest one. She took a second to get her breath back before she started running again, taking care to dodge around the walls that seemed to form at random from Elsa’s trail. She could barely see Elsa running over the top of a hill. “Elsa!” She yelled, as she skidded into yet another icy wall. “You can’t run from me forever! I’ll find you!”

**Meanwhile…**

Kristoff sat in the driver’s seat of his car. The keys were in the ignition. All he had to do was start the engine and he could be on his way back to Arendelle. He glanced over at his passenger. Sven was pointedly staring away from him.

“You know we can’t keep waiting for her forever.” Kristoff said. Sven’s ear twitched to show he heard but the dog refused to look in Kristoff’s direction. “Who knows how long she’ll be in there? She’s the first one to go in there in what, eighteen years?”

Sven glanced at Kristoff, then stared out of the passenger window again.

“Okay she’s been in there for less than an hour but still. I have things to do!” There was the look again. “Don’t sass me, Sven.”

_“But what about the reward she promised?”_ Kristoff said in a slightly deeper, sillier voice that he used when he pretended to talk for Sven.

“What about the reward? She said I’d get anything I wanted if I just took her here. That’s all.” Kristoff said, in his normal voice.

_“You might not get it if you don’t also bring her back to the castle.”_ Sven said.

“Castle. Can’t believe that feistypants is royalty.” Kristoff scoffed. “Wait, if I go back without her, would the castle staff get on my case?” He looked at Sven and groaned. “They probably would! All of this just because I agreed to take a girl to the Enchanted Forest!” He opened the door and stepped out. Sven quickly bounded across the seats to join Kristoff outside of the car. “Well, since we’re staying, we might as well use the stuff she brought and didn’t take with her.” He walked around to the trunk and popped it open. “I’ll set up the tent. Keep watch for any threats, Sven.”

**Also meanwhile…**

Elsa was sure she’d lost Anna. She wasn’t tired from her run; she’d built up a large amount of stamina growing up in the forest. But she was concerned that the spirits weren’t answering her call. They’d always come when she asked ever since the moment many years back. Elsa shook her head. She would not dwell on the past. She hated thinking about it, hated how scared it made her. “Bruni?” She called out. The fire spirit had been sitting on her shoulder until recently. When exactly had it left her? “Gale?” There was no sign of the wind spirit either. Then again, Gale normally ignored her unless she was planning something involving fun or excitement. This didn’t count. This wasn’t fun or exciting. She was just running away.

But she had been scared. Anna was a frightening existence to her. She could see her mother in Anna, but she could also see her father. And the thought of returning to where there were people…Elsa shivered. She wasn’t cold. Just…scared. She didn’t like being scared. Her magic reacted badly when she was scared. That’s why she liked the spirits. They were magic, like her, and the forest was her safe place. Her _home_.

She continued running. She was close to one of her many bases. She’d made a lot of them over the years, secret places where she could run and hide when scary things happened. Not that many scary things happened in the forest. No one could come in. And when no one came in, she didn’t have to be scared.

But Gale had let Anna in. Why? Just because Anna was her sister? Now the spirits weren’t responding and her magic was reacting strangely and she was _scared_. She wasn’t sure what exactly she was scared of yet. She made it to her hiding place, a small cave that the earth giants had carved out for her, and crawled inside. She huddled close to the far wall, feeling like that child again. The child that ran away from her father when he…

She dwelled on the memory too long.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Elsa visits her memory in this chapter. Read at your own discretion.
> 
> (Also switches between Elsa's POV and Anna's POV)

Anna slipped on the ice again. She reached up, grabbed hold of a low-hanging tree branch, and slowly pulled herself up. She’d barely managed to get to the top of the hill after a lot of slipping and falling. She cursed as she looked around. There was no more ice path to show her where Elsa had gone. She clambered down the hill’s other side and considered her options. “Trees, trees, or slightly less trees.” She sighed and struck out on in a random direction. She’d have to come across her sister at some point.

Xxx

_The young princess waited patiently as her father talked to Kai. She hoped Kai was coming with them. He was her favorite person besides her mother and father. It sucked that her mother couldn’t come, though the princess didn’t know why, but her mother promised they’d be able to go together on family outings soon. Her father turned and smiled down at her. She smiled back, looking quickly between him and Kai._

_“I hope you don’t mind my tagging along on your little trip, your Highness.” Kai said, kneeling so that he and the princess were at the same eye level._

_“Don’t mind!” She chirped back. Kai nodded and stood back up. He headed towards the car they would be taking for the day. She followed him, doing her best to keep up with the adult’s longer strides. She could hear her father following a short distance behind. Kai opened the back door before turning to her. She knew what was coming and held her arms up. She giggled as Kai picked her up off the ground and placed her securely in her car seat._

_“Here’s a toy, my sweet.” Her father said, handing her a plush. She gasped. It was her favorite toy – a small plush penguin. She hugged it close, happy that her father remembered which one was her favorite among the many she owned._

_She didn’t mind the long ride; she had Sir Jorgenbjorgen to keep her company! She talked with the penguin, playing one of her favorite games, pretending to be Queen. Of course, she knew she would be Queen someday, when she was a lot older and could understand all the big words the adults used. For now, she was the Queen of her plush kingdom, though only one subject had accompanied her on her trip._

Xxx

“Elsa?!” Anna wasn’t sure how long she’d been walking and shouting Elsa’s name for. She supposed she could check her phone for the time, but it wasn’t as if she knew when she had started her search. She did check her phone now though. It was three in the afternoon. She’d left Arendelle at what time? Ten? Eleven? She didn’t really remember. The ride had taken around two hours, which meant she’d probably been searching for around two or three hours. There were a lot of trees and she wasn’t sure if she’d accidentally crossed her own path. Actually, she wouldn’t be surprised if she’d crossed her own path multiple times, considering how the forest looked pretty much the same no matter which direction she took. “Elsaaaa!”

She was getting tired. She needed a short break, and probably a drink of water. Or something to eat. Probably both. She found a fallen log and sat down on it, taking a much-needed breather. “Okay. Rest for ten minutes, then I have to keep searching.” She said, giving herself a little pep talk. The forest couldn’t stretch forever, right?

Xxx

_She was awoken by her father when they arrived at their destination. She wasn’t sure when she’d fallen asleep, but she was excited to see where they were and could hardly sit still long enough for her father to get her out of the car seat. In her excitement, she’d left Sir Jorgenbjorgen in the car, but it was fine. She’d come back to get him later._

_The forest was big! And pretty! But there were also a lot of people there and she hid behind her father’s leg. She had never been particularly fond of new people and found hiding easier than talking to them. Her father was really good at speaking to new people though. He was doing so now. And now he was looking at her. “Go on, Elsa.” He said encouragingly. “Say hi.”_

_“Hi.” She said. She looked up at him, remembering that a princess should greet people properly. She wanted to make him proud. She stepped away from him a little and did her best impression of the curtsy she’d seen her mother do. “I’m Princess Elsa of Arendelle.” She took time to pronounce her title carefully._

_The amount of cooing and aw-ing she received was a little bit scary but she smiled and waved like a princess should._

_“How old are you, Princess?” She heard someone ask._

_She looked up at her father again. He nodded, so she turned her attention back to the people. “I’m three!” She said, proudly holding up three fingers. She could at least count to that much!_

_“Nearly three and a half.” Her father said, resting his hand on her head. She smiled, taking comfort in his touch._

Xxx

Anna was cursing again. This time, she was cursing herself for not grabbing the food or water she’d brought with her before running into the Enchanted Forest. She really could use it right now. Speaking of things she left outside, she hoped Kristoff was still out there. She should have gotten his number so she could contact him. Though, checking her phone again, it wouldn’t have helped. There was no cell reception. She wondered if it was due to the magical fog.

She was therefore excited when she found a river. She knelt down next to it, cupping her hands and bringing the water up to her lips. She was a little scared to drink, but Elsa was fine and she probably drank like this all the time. Besides, there was nothing a little medicine couldn’t fix once she found Elsa and they both left the forest. She took a few more sips, feeling better already. She wiped her mouth on her sleeve and turned back to the rest of the woods. “Now, if I were Elsa, where would I go?” She wondered aloud. She started following the river downstream, not really wanting to stray away from it. She kept glancing around though, looking for any potential hiding spots. She was sure Elsa was hiding. Too bad for her older sister. Anna had played many games of hide-and-seek and she had never lost when being the seeker. She wouldn’t lose now!

Xxx

_“Kai not coming?” She asked as she waved to Kai, who stood by the car. She continued waving even as the man waved back, until the trees blocked her vision._

_“No, it’s just you and me.” Her father said. “Come here, sweet.” She knew what he wanted and let herself be picked up._

_She hummed and looked around at the trees. There were so many! And there was something about the place that made her feel comfortable. She made a few snowflakes behind her father’s head. He didn’t like when she made snowflakes. He always scolded her whenever he found her snow at home. She didn’t understand why. They were pretty and her mother told her that her snowflakes were special! She supposed her father probably just didn’t like snow because it was cold, though she personally didn’t feel the cold. Her magic was surging and she wanted to make more snowflakes, but she didn’t want her father to find out what she was doing. She held herself back for now, planning to make snow later, when her father wasn’t looking._

Xxx

It was getting dark out. Anna turned on her phone’s flashlight, hoping that it wouldn’t drain her battery too fast. Then, she had another thought. She’d never made fire without the use of matches before but it shouldn’t be that hard, right?

Xxx

_Her father set her down in a clearing. She didn’t know how far her father had carried her, but she was more than excited to explore her new surroundings. She found an interesting looking rock. “Look, father!” She said, eager to show off her discovery. Her eagerness faded as she realized he was walking away from her. “Father!” She ran after him and hugged his leg. Were they going somewhere else? She’d follow him anywhere!_

_“Get off me.”_

_For the first time, Elsa felt cold. She didn’t like the venom in her father’s voice. Her mind screamed at her to not look up but she did. She didn’t recognize her father. His eyes were cold, his mouth twisted into an angry scowl. She didn’t move. She couldn’t move._

_“I said, get off me!” Her father roared, kicking out his leg with such force that she couldn’t hold on. She flew and hit the ground hard. It hurt! She could feel tears coming and hoped that she’d been wrong. She heard her father coming back. She’d been wrong! He didn’t hurt her on purpose! She was lifted into the air suddenly. The cold returned, fear setting in as she realized she was right. “You aren’t wanted.”_

_She sobbed in his hands, too scared to do anything else. Snow was falling. “Look at that. You unnatural child.” She didn’t want to look. Her snow was_ special _. Mother said so. “No one cares about you.” That wasn’t true. Mother cares! Kai cares! You – “NO!” She shrank away from as best she could while still behind held in the air. The snow was falling harder now. “No one will look for you if you go missing. No one will even miss you.”_

_She couldn’t hold herself back anymore. She screamed, feeling her magic react to her emotions as the snow swirled around faster and faster and- She was on the ground again, holding her cheek. He’d hit her. The snow stood still. He opened his mouth, shut it, and walked away. She didn’t follow. She didn’t even get up. She just laid there and cried, tears falling onto the now frozen ground._

Xxx

Anna walked through the woods with her makeshift torch. She’d sacrificed the bottom part of her shirt and quite a few branches in order to make it, but the torch now cast a gentle light on her immediate surroundings. She checked the time on her phone. It was late, around the time she normally would head to bed. But she didn’t feel tired tonight. She put her phone away and trudged onward, calling Elsa’s name as loudly as she could. It was too hard to see any hiding places in the dark. She could only hope that Elsa would hear her at some point and respond.

Xxx

_She became aware of someone calling her name. She managed to get up. Her body still hurt from hitting the ground twice, and her cheek throbbed from her father’s blow. She heard her name again. She was scared, but she headed towards it. She could see Kai! He was calling her name! He was looking for her! She started to move forward but then she saw him. Her father was staring directly at her, anger clearly visible. She felt cold again. She couldn’t go towards him. She turned and ran away, feeling her father’s angry eyes on her back until she had run so long she had to stop to catch her breath. She looked around. She didn’t see anyone. But she also didn’t know where she was anymore. She cried again, wishing desperately that it was all a bad dream. That she’d soon wake up, safe in her bed, with her father and mother watching over her. She wanted her mother to comfort her, tell her it was a nightmare, and stay with her until she slept again. But it wasn’t a dream. She was awake. And alone._

_Then the spirits had found her and the Forest closed itself off. No one could come in, and she would never, ever leave._


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Elsa eats (half) a sandwich.

Anna startled herself awake. For a moment, she had no clue where she was. Her consciousness slowly reminded her that she was in the forest. She must have sat down to rest for a few minutes and fallen asleep. Her torch had died out on its own and it now lay smoldering at her feet. She forced herself to stand and stretch. The sleep had been nice, but she really needed some food. Unfortunately, she had no clue what was edible and what wasn’t in the woods. She settled for drinking some water from the river before continuing what she was doing before she fell asleep. Walking and shouting Elsa’s name until she got a response.

It was honestly starting to get a little boring. She continued walking, unsure if she’d just walked past the hill she’d started her wild goose chase from. She hoped that she would eventually see some sign, anything at all that could point her in Elsa’s direction.

Xxx

Elsa lifted her head up. Sleep plagued by nightmares was almost worse than no sleep at all. She could feel the dried tear tracks on her cheeks. She wiped at her face roughly with her arm. Her muscles complained as she uncurled from the tight ball she’d been all night. It was morning now; she crawled out of her hiding cave to stretch in the sunlight. Anna must have given up and gone home in the night. She sighed, relieved and a little sad that the forest would be hers alone again.

Then she caught movement out of the corner of her eye and turned towards it, expecting to find Bruni scrambling towards her or Gale playing with the fallen leaves. But it wasn’t either spirit. It wasn’t even _a_ spirit.

Xxx

“Elsa!” Anna shouted, overjoyed at seeing her sister. She ran towards her, slipping a little on the leaves. She barely remembered that personal space was important and skidded to a stop a few feet away from her sister. “Elsa, I told you I’d find you!”

“How did-“

“Wait, what happened to you?!” Anna only noticed how awful Elsa looked when she got close. The blonde looked like she’d been crying all night.

“It’s nothing.” Elsa said sharply. “Why are you still here? I told you to go home.”

“And I will, when I bring you with me!” Anna retorted. She was stubborn, almost selfishly so when she wanted to be. And she was going to be stubborn and selfish now. She crossed her arms. “I searched all night for you, you know?!”

“You what?” Elsa looked confused. Confused as to why anyone would even stay just to search for her.

“Well, not all night. I slept a little.” Anna admitted. “But the point is, I won’t leave you alone here. I said so earlier – I mean yesterday – remember? I came here to find you. And I will always come to find you, no matter where you run.”

“Why do you care so much?” Elsa said, turning her head away. “Sisters or not, we barely know each other.”

“Because you’re hurting.” Anna said simply. She’d gotten Elsa’s attention again. “Because you’ve been hurt and I just can’t leave you. I want to make things right, for both of us. You belong in Arendelle. With me.” She didn’t know exactly their father did to Elsa, maybe she never would, but all that mattered in the moment was getting Elsa to understand that someone cared about her.

“But father…” Elsa was falling back into her fear. Anna could see it clearly and rushed to wrap her older sister in a hug. “A-Anna?!”

“Father’s gone!” Anna shouted. Silence fell on the two of them as Anna buried her face into Elsa’s shoulder. “Mother too. It was a plane crash, two months ago.” She could feel her grief returning at the thought, a wave of sadness that threatened to drag her down. “I’m the Queen of Arendelle, Elsa. Please, come home. I _need_ you.” It was true. She came searching for Elsa based on one report she’d gotten. She stayed in the forest searching for Elsa because she couldn’t imagine returning to Arendelle without the sole living member of her family at her side. “I know it’s selfish of me to ask, but,” she couldn’t hold back her tears anymore, “please, _come home_.” Somehow, between her own shaking sobs, she could feel Elsa crying too. She only tightened her hold on her sister as they cried together for what they’d lost.

An eternity seemed to pass before Anna’s tears turned into sniffles. She was more tired now than earlier but felt a little better. She just hoped that she hadn’t put Elsa off by crying onto her. Though, if the fact that Elsa was still holding her was any indication, she hadn’t quite messed up yet. Anna was still too embarrassed to lift her head though.

“Sorry.” The word was quiet, so quiet that Anna almost missed it.

“What?” She asked, lifting her face just a little.

“I’m sorry for making you look for me.” Elsa said.

“It’s no big deal. I’m the one who wanted to find you in the first place.” Anna said, finally deciding to stand back and look her sister in the eyes. She giggled. “Looks like we’re both messes.”

Elsa smiled a little. “But, Anna, I’m…I’m scared to go back. He’s not there anymore but…I have magic and-”

“It’ll be okay.” Anna said, trying to be reassuring. “We’ll take it slow. You can just be you, and I’ll be me, and we’ll work through this together!”

“Together.” Elsa repeated. She took a deep breath and nodded. “We do this together.”

Anna was more than happy to follow her sister back to the stream where they first met. She looked down at their joined hands and had to pinch herself to make sure she wasn’t imagining it. The pinch hurt, but everything was real. Elsa would come home! She would need to call Kai as soon as she got reception so the castle could be prepared for their return. But for now, she just reveled in the fact that she and Elsa were together.

The spirits were waiting for them. Anna started to let go of Elsa’s hand, wanting to give her sister some space (and what little privacy she could give in the open woods) to say good-bye. “I’ll wait over…there!” Anna pointed in what she hoped was the direction of Kristoff’s car. Before Elsa could stop her, Anna walked away to give her sister and the spirits space.

There was a lot she was going to have to do once they left the forest, Anna thought to herself. Of course, she would have to let Elsa adjust to life in human company. There was the matter of how their kingdom operated, too. She doubted Elsa would want to play any roles, and Anna would not dream of forcing her sister to do so. Though, first, they would have to get back to Arendelle. And that meant Anna would have to introduce Elsa to Kristoff, assuming Kristoff hadn’t left. She hoped he hadn’t. And if he hadn’t left, she really hoped that he didn’t eat all of her food. She was really going to need it on the ride back.

“Anna.”

She turned around at her name. Elsa was walking towards her, and the spirits were nowhere to be seen. Anna held her hand out to Elsa. “Ready to go?”

Elsa nodded, taking hold of Anna’s proffered hand. Together, the sisters ran towards the border of the Enchanted Forest. The fog receded as they approached the edge of the tree line until there was nothing blocking their path.

“Kristoff!” Anna shouted, relieved that he’d stayed. She felt Elsa stiffen next to her and turned to her sister. “He’s okay! He’s the one who drove me here!”

“Uh. Hi.” Kristoff said. He looked guilty, caught in the middle of eating – wait, was that her food?! “Want breakfast?” The nerve of that guy. Wait, now that she was looking around, Anna noticed that her tent was set up nearby. He’d unpacked and used all of her stuff! “Hey, in my defense, you left me and the stuff here.”

“That doesn’t give you permission to use it.” Anna said with a sigh. “Just finish eating and get everything back in the car. I’ll just take this,” she snatched the half of sandwich that was untouched, “and call Kai while _you_ get ready to go.” She ignored Kristoff’s grumbling as she walked a short distance away, never letting go of Elsa’s hand.

Elsa glanced back at Kristoff, probably wary of him. Anna squeezed her sister’s hand, trying to reassure her that it was all fine, then faced her newest dilemma. She only had two hands, one occupied by Elsa, the other occupied by a sandwich. She needed a third hand to use her cell phone. Anna made her decision. “Elsa, eat this.”

“Wait, what?”

“Just eat it. I need my hand free to call Kai.” Anna practically shoved the sandwich half into Elsa’s free hand before reaching into her pocket to retrieve her cell phone.

“But Anna, aren’t you-“

“Shush you.” Anna checked the reception – yes! She had reception again! – and called Kai. She looked over at Elsa; her sister was just holding the sandwich, not eating it. Anna rolled her eyes but couldn’t say anything since Kai picked up the phone.

_“Hello, your Majesty. Is everything alright?”_

“Yup! Have the staff prepare another room.” Anna grinned at Elsa. Her sister was giving in to her own hunger and nibbled at the sandwich. She watched as Elsa’s eyes widened. The sandwich half only lasted a few more seconds.

_“…I understand. A room will be prepared for her Highness’s return. Is there anything else you need?”_

Anna thought for a little bit. “That’s it. But don’t tell anyone who the room is for or anything.”

_“Of course, your Majesty. I will await your return.”_

“See you in a few hours.” Anna ended the call. She looked at Elsa, finding that her sister was staring right back at her. She smiled. “Let’s go home.”


End file.
